No Alligators Here

Dear Uncle:
I wanted to share with you some of my trip moments, some of which made me laugh out loud.  Which looks crazy if you are racing past me as I speed down the I-70 corridor....well, as much speeding as one does when almost every inch is under construction.

First things first, pit stop in Jefferson City, Missouri to touch hearts and young minds.  This is Rich, who I have had 8 years of great works together. He is the kind of fella that when he asks you to serve with him, you go. Even if you are a gold and don't have two weeks of hotels booked before you do it. :)

I have to let you know that I have a saying I have decided to use for this mission. 

"I had to turn the car around for this one."  

What that means is that I was driving along, I saw something that might be photo-worthy, but kept on driving until the Holy Ghost was basically yelling at me "turn around."  Hence, the fancy slogan.  I know, I should go into marketing.  I have always thought so, too.  Heh.

Here is the fun I had in Terra Haute, Indiana...

Dear Terra Haute, Indiana:

You have not disappointed. In the first 7 minutes I arrived, you rolled out the ambulance for medical trauma at the IHOP, a 17 police car high speed chase--which I got the scoop from Keisha the Wendy's drive thru window girl whose friend's dad has a police scanner (shout out Sheri Bradford Dean) and filled us all in. And last but not least, how my hotel room smells like a wet dog and there was stray cat literally waiting for me in front of my motel door. Too bad I leave in the morning because, seriously, I can't even imagine what can happen in a full 24 hours here. Love, Sister Anderson 

I have to give kudos to the Grand Master from a wonderful day yesterday.  :)

I drove from Terra Haute, Indiana to Sandusky, Ohio. By way of Michigan .  I am a goal-driven sort of girl so I can cross it off my list as "visited" as well as brag at parties that I spent about 1 and half minutes in Michigan once.

They call that "street cred."

Indiana is so pretty. If anyone really knew about it, more people would live there.  Especially if they knew about the "Ron Paul for President 2012" billboard that is still up or the free invitation to the tent revival being held in Cloverdale by a guy named Johnny.

I saw two 85 year old men racing their caddies on the interstate.  

I was too late in Terra Haute Saturday night to find a church so I held my own service in the wet-dog smelling room.  Doctrine and Covenants 75 with songs "Ye Elders of Israel" and "Armys of Helaman."  

I also listened to "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons,who of course are BYU Super Mormons from Provo.  

Speaking of mission work, this may be the best mission in THE world!  I was wearing shorts and my thrift store Angry Birds t-shirt in honor of the release of Scoutmaster Niel who taught me about the game.  And I may or may not have heard a little from AC/DC and the Scorpions. 

I don't know all about geography, but I learned something interesting.  Upper Sandusky is actually 96 miles south of Sandusky.  So that seems to me that Upper Sandusky is actually Lower Sandusky or that regular Sandusky should be Upper Sandusky.  See what I mean?

And when you drive 

miles in two days, ALONE, you have some time to sort out these geographical conundrums.  

And stop by Lima, Ohio (the home of "Glee" and if I were Rachel Berry, I would get out too).

And drive the Miss America Highway.

And drive down the 184 EB through Toledo. My recommendation:  don't.

The other thing I noticed about geography is that Baltimore, Ohio says it is the "Crossroads of the Mid-West."  It makes you wonder what map they have looked at recently.

I got passed by a tail-gating group that when they drove by, they had faces painted like cats.  They must know that I have a cat or two.  Rest assured, Mr. Fun, these cats won't be coming to stay.

I met a family in the gas station while waiting in line for the bathroom, where the mom (who already weighed about 250 pounds and was wearing the brightest pink t-shirt) was singing.  Her pre-teen was mortified. I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The disappointment of that pit stop was that the hot dogs I had for dinner....the bun warmer said the buns were warm.  They weren't.  Don't tease a girl so, bun warmer.

I took the scenic route of Lake Erie, and while it took an act of congress to find the lake on the lake tour, it was worth it.

This one I turned the car around for.  It was a swamp, but no alligators.

If there had been, I've seen Duck Dynasty.  I know how to handle that kind of mischief.

I think you would have really enjoyed my day yesterday.  Too bad you didn't own a car as I do so that you could have enjoyed my day 107 years ago, too. Minus the cold hot dog buns.
Love
Sister Anderson